There’s something to be said about a meal that is inexpensive to make, elegant to look at, and exceptionally easy to eat. This all-in-one recipe is great for nights when you get home from your run after work, sopping wet from the rain and in dire need of a shower and a warm pair of pyjamas. The ingredients are ones that might be lingering in your fridge and pantry even if your grocery shopping trip is a week overdue. Pita can be substituted with store bought naan or even thickly sliced and toasted sourdough bread. Any knob of leftover cheese that’s languishing in your crisper will work in this recipe, I’ve listed a few of my favourites but truly feel free to use anything you like. Fresh basil isn’t a strict requirement, you could omit it all together or you could use fresh parsley, dill, chives, or thyme. Generally you’ll need about one medium sized onion per person so adjust accordingly, changing the number of eggs and pita bread to suit the number of people you’ll be feeding.
warm pita topped with caramelized onions and a fried egg:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
2 medium sized onions, I like to use 1 red onion and 1 yellow sweet onion
5 scallions, whites and greens cut into small pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A good pinch of kosher salt
150 g of cheese, grated or crumbled (my favourites include old white Cheddar, Gruyere, Asiago Pressato, or Macedonion feta)
2 pita breads
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
About 6 basil leaves, cut in a thin chiffonade
2 extra large eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy skillet melt the oil and butter together over medium heat. Add all of the onions, scallions, garlic, and generous pinch of kosher salt.
2. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the onions, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until a deep, sticky brown colour (this takes upwards of an hour, just reduce the heat further if the onions seem to be cooking too quickly). When the onions are completely cooked scrape them into a bowl and return the still greased skillet back to the heat.
3. Wrap the pita bread in aluminum foil and warm up in the oven for 10 minutes. While the pita gets soft and warm, fry the eggs in the skillet until they’re cooked just the way you like.
4. Layer the pita bread, warm caramelized onions, grated or crumbled cheese, fried egg, and finally the fresh basil and pepper. Take the civilized route and eat with a knife an fork, or fold it onto itself and eat messily as is with your hands.
Brian Eno always sounds like such a skilled escape, a soft implosion into the dreamiest dream place you could ever hope to land in. I need that in my life right now, for my inner life to act as a cushion for all of the things happening around me. Safe and floaty, that’s the name of my brain’s motto right now.
Brian Eno – Deep Blue Day
